Heating device for railroad rails and switches



Dec. 27, 1927.

L. M. LEEDOM HEATING DEVICE FOR RAILROAD RAILS AND SWITCHES Filed 000-4. 1926v 11v ENTOR MAM TTORNE Patented Dec. 27, i927.

LAURIE in. ilnnnciu, on

PATENT, orr cs.

rnnn'ron, NEW JERSEY.

HEATING- DEVICE FOR RAILROAD RAILS AND SWITCHES.

iplication filed somber 4i Thisinvcntion relates to improvements inheating devices such as are employed in the heati" 3 ct railroad railsand switches for the purpose of preventing the accumulation of ice andsnow in regions close to the main rails and to the swit"h rails, and forthe pur pose of melting accumulate-d ice and snow in such regions, andtor the purposeot thawing out frozen switches.

An object of the invention is to provide a gas burning heating device ofnovel and rugged construction which may be cheaply made and maintainedin service, whi h will not clog or close up on account of grease or dirtwhich will remain active under unfavorable conditions, which will not belikely to short circuit and which will effectually melt and also preventthe accumulation of ice and snow'where they would otherwise interferewith the proper operation of the railroad.

Another object of the invention is to construct and relate the parts ofthe gas burner to each other and to the rail and cross ties of arailroad structure that the flame ofthe burner will not char the tiesand will not be blown out by air currents induced by passing trains. p

With the foregoing and relatedobjects in view, the invention consists inthe novel construction and combinations of partshereinafter describedand claimed.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention,

Figure 1 is a plan of a portion of a railroad structure provided withheating devices embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse se"tion through part thereof. on line 22 of 1.

Figure 3 is alongitudinal, vertical section through one of the gasburners.

Referring to the drawings, 3 designates the track rails, 1 the movableswitch rails and 5 the cross ties supporting the rails. The constructionof these parts and the operation of the switch rails are well known inthis art and need not be described in detail herein.

Two of my improved heating devices are shown in Fig. 1, one on each sideor the track. Each device comprises a series or heating units or gasburners 6 which are connected to and extend from a pipe 7 which forms acommon gas supplying conduit for 1925. Serial No. iea se.

the several burners. One end of the pipe 7 is closed and the other cndthereofterininotes in flexible extension 7 formed of insulating materialby means of which i the p pe '5' may be connected to a suitable sourceor gas supply in a manner to ele trically insulate the heating devicefrom the pipes of the source of supply. i b

The gas supplying pipe 7 is supported upon the outer end portions of thecross ties and the heating units orburneisfi extend longitudinallybetween the ties 5 and they are supported upon suitable bars 9 which estend transversely between the ties and which are connected thereto. i

Each gas burner 6 comprises a casing formed by a pipe section 10,21plug'll screwed into the outer end of these tion 10 and an elbow fitting12 screwed onto the inner end of the section 10. i

The horizontal arm 13 of the elbow fitting 12 screwed on to the pipe setion 10 and the vertical arm 14 or the fitting 12 is directed downwardlyand is located in the usual open space between two adjacent ties 5 andbelow the rails 3 and 41-, and it isalso located beneath the regionwhich it des red .to he-at. q A

The vertical arm 14 of the fitting 12 is provided with a transverseinterior wall 15,

and a gas expansion chamber 16 is formed within the pipe section 10 andthe upper portion of the fitting 12 between the plug 11 and the wall 15.

The plug 11 is provided with a central orifice 17 extending therethroughfor the passage of fuel gas from the supply pipe 7 into the chamber 16,and the wall 150i the fitting 12 is provided with a downwardly directeddischarge opening 18 for the discharge of gas from the chamber 16. Whenthe burner is in operation the gas issuing from the opening 18 isignited below the wall and the flame of burning gas is directeddownwardly by the opening 18 into and through a surrounding flame shieldhaving an open bottom and being formed by the lower portion of the arm14 of the fitting 12.

The outlet opening 18 is of greater area than that of the orifice 17 andof less area than that of the chamber 16, and the area of the orifice1'7 is much less than that of the supply conduit 7 and than that of thechamber 16 so that the gas under pressure from ill the source of supplywill expand and decreaseits velocity as it passes through the chamber 16andwill be delivered from the outlet opening 18 at less pressure than.the pressure Within the supply pipe 7.

I have discovered that byconstructing gas burners and relating the sameto the parts of a railroad structure asherein shown and described, theregions above the burners and above the spaces between them and forsomedistance beyond the outermost burner of each set thereof on therespective sides of the track or switch willheep the rails and thespaces between the main rails and the switch rails free from ice andsnow and permit the proper operation of the switch under all kinds ofweather conditions; and also that with gas supplied to the pipe under aptiroximately the usual. pressure of about one inch ofw: tela.suitablellaine will burn withinthe shield 14 of each burner and issuefrom the bottom thereof and rise around the same which will not onlyaccomplish the heating and snow and ice melting purpose 1n tended butwhich will also not be extinguished by adverse weather and other un' ofelectrical insulating material extending from one end of the first namedpipe.

2. In a gas burner "for track heaters, a casing having an expansionchamber, an in letorifice opening into the chamber, and a downwardlydirected outlet opening discharging from the chamber; and a gas supplying conduit communicating with the inlet 3. In a gas burner for trackheaters, a casing having an expansion chamber, an inlet orifice openinginto the chamber, a downwardly directed outlet opening discharging fromthe chamber, and a flame shield surrounding the space beneath said o'iening and having an open bottom; and a gas supplying conduitcommunicating with the inlet oril. In a gas burner for track heaters, acaning having an expansion chamber closed to external air, an inletorificeopening into the chamber, and an outlet opening of greater areathan that of theoritice and of less area than that of the eha1nber,a1nfla gas supply ing conduit communicating with and oil greater area thanthe inlet orifice.

5. In a gas burner for track heaters, a caning having an expansionchamber, an inlet: orifice opening into the chamber, a dowa wardlydirected outlet opening of greater area than that of the orifice and ofless area than that of the chamber, and a flame shield surrounding thespace beneath said opening and having an open bottom; and a. supplyingconduit communicating with and ol' greater area than the inlet orifice.In testimony whereof I aiiixmy signature.

LAURI M. Lennon,

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